diff --git a/cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-134/UncontrolledFormatStringThroughGlobalVar.ql b/cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-134/UncontrolledFormatStringThroughGlobalVar.ql
index f3cb4fcf1bb..88341f7ca9d 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-134/UncontrolledFormatStringThroughGlobalVar.ql
+++ b/cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-134/UncontrolledFormatStringThroughGlobalVar.ql
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * @description Using externally-controlled format strings in
  *              printf-style functions can lead to buffer overflows
  *              or data representation problems.
- * @kind problem
+ * @kind path-problem
  * @problem.severity warning
  * @precision medium
  * @id cpp/tainted-format-string-through-global
@@ -16,15 +16,24 @@ import cpp
 import semmle.code.cpp.security.FunctionWithWrappers
 import semmle.code.cpp.security.Security
 import semmle.code.cpp.security.TaintTracking
+import TaintedWithPath
+
+class Configuration extends TaintTrackingConfiguration {
+  override predicate isSink(Element tainted) {
+    exists(PrintfLikeFunction printf | printf.outermostWrapperFunctionCall(tainted, _))
+  }
+
+  override predicate taintThroughGlobals() { any() }
+}
 
 from
-  PrintfLikeFunction printf, Expr arg, string printfFunction, Expr userValue, string cause,
-  string globalVar
+  PrintfLikeFunction printf, Expr arg, PathNode sourceNode, PathNode sinkNode,
+  string printfFunction, Expr userValue, string cause
 where
   printf.outermostWrapperFunctionCall(arg, printfFunction) and
-  not tainted(_, arg) and
-  taintedIncludingGlobalVars(userValue, arg, globalVar) and
+  not taintedWithoutGlobals(arg) and
+  taintedWithPath(userValue, arg, sourceNode, sinkNode) and
   isUserInput(userValue, cause)
 select arg,
-  "This value may flow through $@, originating from $@, and is a formatting argument to " +
-    printfFunction + ".", globalVarFromId(globalVar), globalVar, userValue, cause
+  "The value of this argument may come from $@ and is being used as a formatting argument to " +
+    printfFunction, userValue, cause
diff --git a/cpp/ql/src/semmle/code/cpp/ir/dataflow/DefaultTaintTracking.qll b/cpp/ql/src/semmle/code/cpp/ir/dataflow/DefaultTaintTracking.qll
index 498449bdd71..c291246a774 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/src/semmle/code/cpp/ir/dataflow/DefaultTaintTracking.qll
+++ b/cpp/ql/src/semmle/code/cpp/ir/dataflow/DefaultTaintTracking.qll
@@ -407,6 +407,12 @@ module TaintedWithPath {
     /** Override this to specify which elements are sinks in this configuration. */
     abstract predicate isSink(Element e);
 
+    /**
+     * Override this predicate to `any()` to allow taint to flow through global
+     * variables.
+     */
+    predicate taintThroughGlobals() { none() }
+
     /** Gets a textual representation of this element. */
     string toString() { result = "TaintTrackingConfiguration" }
   }
@@ -422,6 +428,12 @@ module TaintedWithPath {
 
     override predicate isAdditionalFlowStep(DataFlow::Node n1, DataFlow::Node n2) {
       instructionTaintStep(n1.asInstruction(), n2.asInstruction())
+      or
+      exists(TaintTrackingConfiguration cfg | cfg.taintThroughGlobals() |
+        writesVariable(n1.asInstruction(), n2.asVariable().(GlobalOrNamespaceVariable))
+        or
+        readsVariable(n2.asInstruction(), n1.asVariable().(GlobalOrNamespaceVariable))
+      )
     }
 
     override predicate isBarrier(DataFlow::Node node) { nodeIsBarrier(node) }
@@ -564,4 +576,26 @@ module TaintedWithPath {
       tainted = sinkNode.(FinalPathNode).inner()
     )
   }
+
+  private predicate isGlobalVariablePathNode(WrapPathNode n) {
+    n.inner().getNode().asVariable() instanceof GlobalOrNamespaceVariable
+  }
+
+  private predicate edgesWithoutGlobals(PathNode a, PathNode b) {
+    edges(a, b) and
+    not isGlobalVariablePathNode(a) and
+    not isGlobalVariablePathNode(b)
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Holds if `tainted` can be reached from a taint source without passing
+   * through a global variable.
+   */
+  predicate taintedWithoutGlobals(Element tainted) {
+    exists(PathNode sourceNode, FinalPathNode sinkNode |
+      sourceNode.(WrapPathNode).inner().getNode() = getNodeForSource(_) and
+      edgesWithoutGlobals+(sourceNode, sinkNode) and
+      tainted = sinkNode.inner()
+    )
+  }
 }
diff --git a/cpp/ql/test/query-tests/Security/CWE/CWE-134/semmle/globalVars/UncontrolledFormatStringThroughGlobalVar.expected b/cpp/ql/test/query-tests/Security/CWE/CWE-134/semmle/globalVars/UncontrolledFormatStringThroughGlobalVar.expected
index 0f29313da8e..263399b2af8 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/test/query-tests/Security/CWE/CWE-134/semmle/globalVars/UncontrolledFormatStringThroughGlobalVar.expected
+++ b/cpp/ql/test/query-tests/Security/CWE/CWE-134/semmle/globalVars/UncontrolledFormatStringThroughGlobalVar.expected
@@ -1,5 +1,65 @@
-| globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy | This value may flow through $@, originating from $@, and is a formatting argument to printf(format). | globalVars.c:8:7:8:10 | copy | copy | globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | argv |
-| globalVars.c:30:15:30:18 | copy | This value may flow through $@, originating from $@, and is a formatting argument to printWrapper(str), which calls printf(format). | globalVars.c:8:7:8:10 | copy | copy | globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | argv |
-| globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 | This value may flow through $@, originating from $@, and is a formatting argument to printf(format). | globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | copy2 | globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | argv |
-| globalVars.c:41:15:41:19 | copy2 | This value may flow through $@, originating from $@, and is a formatting argument to printWrapper(str), which calls printf(format). | globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | copy2 | globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | argv |
-| globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 | This value may flow through $@, originating from $@, and is a formatting argument to printf(format). | globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | copy2 | globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | argv |
+edges
+| globalVars.c:8:7:8:10 | copy | globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy |
+| globalVars.c:8:7:8:10 | copy | globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy |
+| globalVars.c:8:7:8:10 | copy | globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy |
+| globalVars.c:8:7:8:10 | copy | globalVars.c:30:15:30:18 | copy |
+| globalVars.c:8:7:8:10 | copy | globalVars.c:30:15:30:18 | copy |
+| globalVars.c:8:7:8:10 | copy | globalVars.c:35:11:35:14 | copy |
+| globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | globalVars.c:41:15:41:19 | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | globalVars.c:41:15:41:19 | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:11:22:11:25 | argv | globalVars.c:12:2:12:15 | Store |
+| globalVars.c:12:2:12:15 | Store | globalVars.c:8:7:8:10 | copy |
+| globalVars.c:15:21:15:23 | val | globalVars.c:16:2:16:12 | Store |
+| globalVars.c:16:2:16:12 | Store | globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | globalVars.c:11:22:11:25 | argv |
+| globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | globalVars.c:11:22:11:25 | argv |
+| globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy | globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | (const char *)... |
+| globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy | globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy |
+| globalVars.c:35:11:35:14 | copy | globalVars.c:15:21:15:23 | val |
+| globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 | globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | (const char *)... |
+| globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 | globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 | globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | (const char *)... |
+| globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 | globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 |
+nodes
+| globalVars.c:8:7:8:10 | copy | semmle.label | copy |
+| globalVars.c:9:7:9:11 | copy2 | semmle.label | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:11:22:11:25 | argv | semmle.label | argv |
+| globalVars.c:12:2:12:15 | Store | semmle.label | Store |
+| globalVars.c:15:21:15:23 | val | semmle.label | val |
+| globalVars.c:16:2:16:12 | Store | semmle.label | Store |
+| globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | semmle.label | argv |
+| globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | semmle.label | argv |
+| globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | (const char *)... | semmle.label | (const char *)... |
+| globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | (const char *)... | semmle.label | (const char *)... |
+| globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy | semmle.label | copy |
+| globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy | semmle.label | copy |
+| globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy | semmle.label | copy |
+| globalVars.c:30:15:30:18 | copy | semmle.label | copy |
+| globalVars.c:30:15:30:18 | copy | semmle.label | copy |
+| globalVars.c:30:15:30:18 | copy | semmle.label | copy |
+| globalVars.c:35:11:35:14 | copy | semmle.label | copy |
+| globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | (const char *)... | semmle.label | (const char *)... |
+| globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | (const char *)... | semmle.label | (const char *)... |
+| globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 | semmle.label | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 | semmle.label | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 | semmle.label | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:41:15:41:19 | copy2 | semmle.label | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:41:15:41:19 | copy2 | semmle.label | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:41:15:41:19 | copy2 | semmle.label | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | (const char *)... | semmle.label | (const char *)... |
+| globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | (const char *)... | semmle.label | (const char *)... |
+| globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 | semmle.label | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 | semmle.label | copy2 |
+| globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 | semmle.label | copy2 |
+#select
+| globalVars.c:27:9:27:12 | copy | The value of this argument may come from $@ and is being used as a formatting argument to printf(format) | globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | argv |
+| globalVars.c:30:15:30:18 | copy | The value of this argument may come from $@ and is being used as a formatting argument to printWrapper(str), which calls printf(format) | globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | argv |
+| globalVars.c:38:9:38:13 | copy2 | The value of this argument may come from $@ and is being used as a formatting argument to printf(format) | globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | argv |
+| globalVars.c:41:15:41:19 | copy2 | The value of this argument may come from $@ and is being used as a formatting argument to printWrapper(str), which calls printf(format) | globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | argv |
+| globalVars.c:50:9:50:13 | copy2 | The value of this argument may come from $@ and is being used as a formatting argument to printf(format) | globalVars.c:24:11:24:14 | argv | argv |